Samsung, LG Compete in Smartwatch Market

Competition between Samsung and LG is expected to heat up as they release their new smartwatches in the first half of this year.

Samsung plans to launch in April a smartwatch that runs on its homegrown operating system Tizen, which is backed by intel, while LG is developing one with a Google operating system.

LG "would begin selling smartwatches in coming months that run on a new version of Google's Android operating system for wearable devices," the Wall Street Journal reported Tuesday.

On March 9, Google already revealed its plan to offer a software development kit for wearable devices in two weeks. LG's smartwatch will be the first gadget based on the kit, and could hit the market as early as in the first half of this year, Google Korea said.

Last year, Samsung and Sony rolled out smartwatches that also came with a modified Google OS.

The Samsung Gear 2, to be launched next month, will be equipped with an operating system developed by the Tizen Association. Led by Samsung and Intel, the association includes Vodafone, Sprint, SK Telecom, Huawei, Panasonic and Fujitsu.